On dreams and wrenches
by Cosmic Guardian
Summary: The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. As Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.
1. Father figure

Another short story from Xenoblade chronicles X. This time with Cross and Lin, Enjoy!

! #$%^&*()_+

In the early afternoon Cross walked into the outfitters firing range with a sniper rifle in hand. He was in the middle of aiming for the target when heard his name called.

"Oh, hey, Cross!" The voice surprised Cross and throw off his aim, missing the target.

Cross turned to see Lin behind him. "Hey Lin what's up?"

"You here to test a new weapon?"

"No, some idiot thought it'd be a good idea to use a sniper rifle as a club and bent the barrel. I just got this thing straightened and now I need to see if it still works. What have you been up to?"

"I was just wondering if I could maybe make the flight module's energy systems work a little more efficiently. I had a chance to talk it over with a mechanic from one of the arms manufacturers, you know?"

"Really now." Cross held the sniper rifle over his shoulder. "What was it like?"

"Man, the people working behind the scenes to develop state-of-the-art weapons sure do have a lot of interesting things to say! You wouldn't BELIEVE how rapidly technology is advancing here in New LA while we're out on deployment."

Cross kneeled down to Lin's eye level. "If you like to play with tools so much then wouldn't you prefer to be a full-time mechanic?"

Lin tapped her fingers together as she thought about the question. "Well, I guess I do get a teeeensy bit jealous of people who get to work with new technologies like that. But our work as BLADEs is equally important for weapons development, right?"

"True, field testing and all." Cross aimed at target and fired. The bullet missed the target and flow over it. Cross lowered the sniper rifle and pinched his nose. "I swear I'm gonna find the guy who broke this and show him what a real club is." Cross holstered the weapon over his back. "So, what ideas do you have for you flight module?"

"Remember when we saw that auravis flying through the sky during a mission?"

"Yeah I remember. Beautiful thing."

Cross and Lin walked out of the firing range and into sunlight. "I saw the way it stayed aloft while gliding, and that gave me the idea for a new tail assembly! It makes me glad I joined BLADE."

"Lin I know this means a lot to you but are you sure you're not pushing yourself to hard? There have been nights that you haven't come to the barracks."

Lin stopped and looked up to Cross. "I know you worry about me. And I appreciate it, Cross! I wouldn't be able to continue inventing things the way I do if I didn't have you and Elma watching out for me all the time."

"Maybe it would be better for you to focus on BLADE missions."

"Focus on BLADE missions? Oh... I thought I was doing okay out there, you know?" Cross placed his hands on his hips as he looked down at Lin who laughed nervously. "Can you really tell I'm that distracted?"

"Why don't you ask the limbs I've replaced after taking hits for protecting you?"

Lin hung her head in shame. "I always INTEND to give things my full attention, but sometimes I find myself kind of...drifting off in the middle of indigen battles. Like, I find myself watching the way they move, and then analyzing their musculature, and thinking about how I could incorporate that into a Skell..."

Cross kneeled and lifted her head to look her in the eye. "Listen, it's okay to let you mind wonder, I've learned that that's when the best idea show themselves. But when we're out in the field you need to stay focus. I can't keep replacing limbs." Cross held the side of Lin's face in his right hand. "I want you to be safe, okay? You and Elma are very important to me." Cross leaned closer to give Lin a hug.

"Aw, Cross. You're so sweet." Lin returned the hug. "You've always been like a father to me, you know?"

"I try."

The two separated and Cross stood up. "I'm gonna keep working my butt off to invent cool stuff that'll help all of us, okay?"

"As long as you have some downtime in-between work sessions."

"Yeah, I know that booster engine I was testing kinda...exploded, but I'm not about to give up."

"Yeah, I saw that when I first came to NLA."

"In fact..." Lin tapped her chin with his finger then smiled to Cross. "I'd be honored if you'd join me as my co-test pilot! What do you say?"

"Why not? Someone has to make sure you stop putting in things backwards."

"Really? That's great! There are so many things I want to work on, and Doug can't possibly handle them all. Now that I've got you to help me test, I can double down on making all those prototypes I've been itching to make! Thank you so much!"

"Of cause, I'd be a bad father if I didn't help my little girl." Cross smirked as he ruffled Lin's hair. "Let's go get some lunch and we can talk about some of your module ideas." Cross placed his hand on his side. "Shall we?"

Lin hook her arm around Cross' and walked beside him. "Thanks for the honest pep talk. I appreciate it. I wouldn't be able to continue inventing things the way I do if I didn't have you and Elma watching out for me all the time."

"Glad to be a happy little family."

! #$%^&*()_+}"?:{

Please review, it keeps us writers going. Till next time CG out. PEACE!


	2. To be great

It was afternoon as Cross landed his skell in the residential district. The skell changed into it vehicle form and drove to BLADE HQ. On the way Cross watched the sun setting behind the Ma-non ship that hovered on the rim of NLA. As he reached the transport landing pads it saw Lin standing on one looked at the Ma-non ship as well.

Cross pulled over and climbed out of his skell, jumping up to the landing pad. "Hey Lin!"

The girl turned to see her friend. "Hey, Cross!" When Cross was closer Lin jumped up and hugged him.

"So what have you been up to little lady?"

"I was just staring up at the Ma-non ship. Isn't it incredible?" Lin let go of Cross to look back the ship.

"I love seeing it." Cross stood beside Lin, he raised his hand behind her and placed it on her shoulder.

"I wonder how the Ma-non ever discovered that technology. That thing is so huge! And it isn't even flying—it just kinda…"

"Hovers?

"I was gonna say floats."

"That works too." Cross glances down to Lin.

"It makes virtually no noise, and runs off of an extremely clean energy source."

"The power of a laser light show! El and I was talking about it the other day, I think its lights that power each other. A mix of lights that empower each other over a mix of species interacting. Cooperation is how we grow."

Lin looked at her hand as she slowly closed it into a fist. "With everyone's help, I was able to finally complete the Skell flight module… But we humans are still a ways off from being able to match the Ma-non on the technology front."

Cross snickered. "Well isn't that given? They've been in the space travel game for much longer then us."

"I've seen a lot of Ganglion tech that impressed me, too, you know."

"Like what?"

"Like that Zu Pharg, I think it was called? Yeah, we're nowhere near being able to add flight capabilities to such massive machines. I'd love to pay a visit to the labs at Meredith & Co. or Candid & Credible. I bet I could learn a few things."

"If you do get to speak with them, mind if I tag along? You're not the only outfitter hungry for new tech." Cross patted her shoulder.

"I'm sure it'd be fun to have you come along, but it's probably not worth the effort."

"Why's that?"

"I've made tons of requests to these guys, but they always turn me down."

Cross looked down to Lin. "And why's that? Are they that sacred you steal their secrets?"

"They make equipment for BLADE, but they're still corporations fighting to be at the top. They're not about to start sharing their trade secrets. And yeah, the Ma-non work with us, but that doesn't include supplying us with their core technologies…"

"Well, let them horde their secrets like the dragons they are, I know that one day your inventions will top theirs."

Lin shook her head and laughed lightly. "At this rate, that's not likely at all."

"Hey now." Cross kneeled down and turned Lin to face him, placed both his hands on her arms. "Don't think like that. You're a great outfitter. I can fix things but you can make them, and at a young age I know you'll go and do great things."

"But it could take decades or even centuries to replicate those technologies. And while we're playing catch-up, the Ma-non and Ganglion will develop newer and better things."

"So what? Superior tech isn't everything, The Ganglion have better technology and we're still kicking their ass. It's about heart too, you put your heart into those flight modules and now they work like a dream."

"Thanks Cross."

Cross gives a nod to her. "Of course."

"I still need to learn all I can while we have experts here who are able to teach us. Once we catch up, hopefully we can start putting our own human spins on their technology."

"Yeah. Give it more personality, rather then it being a rip off."

Lin let out a sigh as she stepped back. "Anyway, I hope I'm not worrying you."

"You haven't been working on this stuff night and day or anything, right?" Lin gives a nod. "And your remembering to some time off, right?"

Lin nods again. "Yes. Elma's been on my case about it. She says I'll burn myself out if I don't relax more."

Cross stats giggling to himself. "Yeah. El got on he too, I have to make sure you're doing what she asked. So to get her off of both or back how about we take a day off together?"

"What, for the entire DAY?"

"Yeah."

"…Huh. That does sound pretty relaxing. But I'm not sure if I could be away from my machines for so long."

"Why? Do you have a toolbox stuck to your hands?"

"NO, it's like, if I went to the park, there'd be cars driving around, right? Or if I went to see a movie, who knows what sort of fantastical technology might come up in the story? And then I'd find myself wondering what makes them tick, and how I could improve them… And then? BLAMMO! I'm back at work. Happens every time."

"Then let's do something outside of NLA." Cross reached up and ruffled Lin's hair. "When I need time to myself I go out into Mira find a place to lay down and just listen to the sounds of nature as I start to drifted to sleep."

"Is that safe?"

"Hasn't been a problem so far and I've going to the same spot for weeks." Cross raised his finger and tapped Lin on the nose. "I'll show you it, but you have to keep it a secret, okay? Elma is the only one I've shown it too, it'll be our secret place to meet when we want to get away from everything."

"Thank you, I promise not to tell anyone."

"Good."

"You know. I thought that once I completed the flight module, I'd be okay not working on anything for a while. But completing it was so thrilling that it made me want to start working on upgrades."

Cross shrugged as he exhaled. "As long as you don't overwork yourself, who am I to tell you not to enjoying yourself."

"Aw, thanks for saying that." Lin gave Cross a quick hug then stepped back. "I love tinkering with machines. It's a ton of fun."

"You're preaching to the choir sister."

"Right. My designs don't work out most of the time, but I can always try again, as much as I want."

"That R and D Lin Nothing is made without it blowing up a few times on the way."

Lin let out a snicker. "I think Elma's worried about me getting so obsessed with my fiddling that I stop taking care of myself. And when I say something like, "I'll only do it for an hour today," five hours go by before I even realize it."

"Well, as your father figure it's my duty to make sure that doesn't happen."

"You, a father?"

"You said it first." Two laughed lightly, the wind started to pick up and Cross saw the sun was almost gone. "That's enough for today. Time to get back. I'll give you a lift."

"A li- AH!" Cross grabbed Lin by her arms and swung her to his back, he grabbed Lin's legs and stood up. In a panic Lin wrapped her arms around his neck. "You scared me you jerk!"

"Hey now. A scare now and then is good for the heart."

"You're thinking of chocolate!"

"I might be thinking chocolate. Let's have some when we get home." Cross began walking to his skell with Lin on his back. "Come on, if we don't get back before it gets too dark El might send out a search party."

! #$%%^^&*()_+}"  
?:"{+_)(*&^%$#

Please review, it keeps us writers going. Till time CG out. PEACE!


	3. Family

Cross awake late at night believing he something, he listened for a moment and laid his head back when he heard nothing. As he closed his eyes he heard a soft moan, Cross raised his head again to see Elma sleeping peacefully on his chest.

The sound happened again, this time Cross was wake to it sounded like crying. "El, El get up."

Elma groaned, clearly not wanting to awaken. "What is it?"

"Listen."

Elma sat up and rubbed her eyes as she did so and heard the crying. "What is that?"

"Let's find out." Cross threw the blankets off himself to stand up and hand a robe to Elma. The couple stepped out of their bedroom and followed the crying to Lin's room.

Cross opened the door to find Lin crying in her sleep, the couple ran to her side and tried to wake her up. "Lin! Lin!"

The girl shot up and screamed. She stopped and saw Cross and Elma on both of her sides. "You're alive!" She reached up and wrapped her arms around them.

"We're fine Lin."

"You were crying in your sleep, were you having a bad dream?"

Lin released her friends and hung her head. "I... I dreamt that we found the lifehold. The Ganglion came... I wanted to fight but, you two... You two..." Lin's eyes teared up once more.

Cross sat beside Lin and held her head to his chest as his ran his fingers through her hair. "Shh... It's okay now, it was just a dream. El and I are fine, we're not going to die and leave you."

"You can't promise that." Lin grabbed on his shirt.

"I can and I will, right El?'

"Yes, we'll always be here for you Lin." Elma sat on the other side of Lin and used her robe sleeve to wipe away the tears.

Lin slowly calmed down as Cross carefully pet her. "It's okay Lin. We'll fine the lifehold, get our real bodies back, and show the Ganglion that this is our world." Cross kissed the top of her head.

Elma tilted head and smiled gently. "You really do make a good father."

"You think? Guess that makes you the mom in this." The couple chuckled at the joke. Cross stopped his hand but Lin still clung to his shirt. "Lin, how about you come in with us tonight?"

"Really?" Lin looked up to Cross.

"Sure." Cross then looked to Elma. "If it's okay with mom."

Elma smiled and shook her head as she stood up. Cross and Lin did the same and followed Elma out to the hall. Returning to the couple's bedroom Lin climbed into the bed as Elma took off her and handing it Cross then laid down beside Lin.

Cross hung up the robe and joined his female companies on Lin's other side. "You comfortable?" Lin nods to Cross who then kisses her on the forehead. "Sleep well." Cross looked to Elma who pretended to pout. "You too." Cross leaned closer and did the same to Elma. "Sleep well."

Elma laid her head on the pillow and pulled up the blanket over her and Lin. Cross looked down at his companies, seeing those safe brought him peace of mind. _"My girlfriend... and now a daughter. I'll find the lifehold and make this world better then earth, for them."_ Cross laid down and placed his arm over is family, to know they would still be there as he slept.

! #$%^ &*())_+}"?:{

Hope you all enjoyed this little story I put together. I really Cross and Elma, and Lin easily plays the daughter of the two. As always please review, it keeps us writers going. Till next time CG out. PEACE!


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